The Mediating Role of Workplace Development in the Effect of Trust in Managers on Emotional Exhaustion

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship between trust in supervisor and emotional exhaustion, and to reveal the effect of thriving at work—an increasingly prominent topic in organizational behavior—as a potential mediating variable in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted through the analysis of data collected from a sample of 401 public and private sector employees actively working in Ankara, using validated measurement tools.
Results – The results indicate that trust in supervisor has a significant negative effect on emotional exhaustion and a significant positive effect on thriving at work. Furthermore, thriving at work negatively and significantly affects emotional exhaustion. Additionally, thriving at work was found to have a complementary partial mediating role in the relationship between trust in supervisor and emotional exhaustion.
Discussion – The study reveals significant relationships among trust in supervisor, thriving at work, and emotional exhaustion. The findings emphasize that fostering a climate of trust and supporting employee development are critical for reducing emotional exhaustion in organizational settings.